According to Bernie Ecclestone, Monza’s chances of securing a new Italian Grand Prix F1 deal aren’t looking very good.
Even though there were reports earlier this month of a financial package being finalized, more recently Ecclestone said that the circuit’s chances are now fading.
“I don’t know about Monza at the moment,” said Ecclestone. “I have meetings there in September so we will see. I hope we don’t lose it but I think there is a good chance we will.”
Of course, we should take these types of quotes with a grain of salt. He may just be saying that in order to tilt the deal in Formula One’s favor as chief executive, or he might actually be worried about losing the track.
Monza’s current arrangement will come to an end next season and Ecclestone insists that “we don’t want to give any more than we give other people. We want to give the same.”
As fans, this is troubling news since all of us have basically grown up watching F1 cars race at Monza. The track has been hosting the Italian GP every year since 1950 (except for 1980 when the venue switched to Imola).
It also happens to be the fastest track in the calendar, where we always get to see teams with strong high-speed setups (Mercedes, Ferrari, Williams, Force India) do extremely well against those who rely mostly on downforce (Red Bull, McLaren). So let’s hope that meeting in September goes well.
Story references: Autosport
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